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Providence Anglican Pages
Friday, 13 November 2009
Mark 13, NT Apocalyptic
Mood:
 quizzical
Sunday's gospel, Mark 13: 1-8, a few chapters before the end of Mark's account, is a paragraph about the end of the world, read a few Sundays before the end of the liturgical year. This is the first time I have looked at biblical Greek in over a decade: it is not completely undecipherable, it just takes a little more time. I am still a biblicist (a really neat word, in my opinion). That is a result of being among Baptists during my impressionable youth -- I will always want to know what scripture says about any topic under discussion. This gospel will be read in churches where some people, having lost their jobs or even their homes, feel they have been already been hit with the worst thing that could happen, the absolutely worst possibility they could imagine. For them, in a sense, not one stone is left on another, from their former lives. With the help of the marginal notes in the Nestle-Aland Greek NT, one discovers that Sunday's gospel draws on a number of older apocalyptic texts, both canonical (Isaiah) and the non- (or deutero-) canonical 2 Esdras 13:29-31: "Behold, the days come, when the most High will begin to deliver them that are upon the earth. And he shall come to the astonishment of them that dwell on the earth. And one shall undertake to fight against another, one city against another, one place against another, one people against another, and one realm against another." So there will come a time when things are cosmically falling apart, and the whole world will see that and tremble. In great fear and perplexity, people will begin to look for solutions, a way out. Apocalyptic is a word of encouragement to a faith community under stress. During a late 1st century CE assault by the Roman imperial authorities on the Jews in Judea, known, misleadingly, as the "Jewish war," (which the Jews called the "Great Rebellion") Christian believers were caught in the middle, with no allies and nowhere to turn. Truly, their world was cracking up. This gospel portion was written for them. Was it also written for us, for people who face a different kind of disaster? The challenges we face are also devastating, and, at the risk of stating the obvious, the advice of the gospel writer is helpful today as well: "Do not be alarmed" at the disastrous news, that seems to appear almost weekly, for "the end is yet to come," that is, the Almighty has not yet spoken the final word, which is a word and a judgment of redemption and peace. The gospel writer also tells us, "Beware that no one leads you astray." Amidst catastrophic conditions, many will appear with their solutions, but the truth of the gospel abides; believers have permanent good news, which is unshaken by world disorder. We are citizens of a heavenly country, sojourners here below, and, as such, we are greatly blessed, for we know that our lives are in God's hands.
Thoughts before Stewardship Sunday
Mood:
 chillin'
Last Sunday was the last Sunday before pledge cards are turned in, at the conclusion of the parish pledge drive. It has been a long time since I contributed regularly to any house of worship, and the choice of whether or not to do so has put me in a somewhat reflective mood. As it happens, last Sunday's gospel was the selection from Mark about the widow's mite, she gave everything she had. From that text, the homilist drew the lesson that worshipers face a choice: greed and fear or generosity and friendship with the Deity. Which is not a bad commentary on the story. The hymns, which always seem to be carefully selected, also had lines that spoke to the topic of stewardship. So they sent me a pledge card, and I face the decision during the next approximately 39 hours. I already said that I was willing to make a modest contribution, because I am so in love with the music, so now it is just a question of how much.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
An alternative Daily Office version
Topic: Contemporary Prayer
At the bottom left of the page, I have added a series of links to Morning and Evening Prayer from the Church of England. The offices come from a new English prayer book, called Common Worship, which looks like a wonderful resource for people who pray the Daily Office. I am continuing to read Morning and Evening Prayer from the BCP of the Episcopal Church, and I very miuch enjoy the Daily Office in that form. The Episcopal prayer book has a two-year cycle of readings for the the daily office, and the amount of scripture one would cover in reading the office for two years is quite large, so that in addition to the Psalter, the office brings the worshiper a great deal of scripture. Really a good situation, I think.
I have begun to add antiphons and responsories for the Daily Office on great feasts, like All Saints, which we just celebrated, drawing upon scripture and other liturgical sources. * * * It may be that we are going to move to Mount Pleasant, which, reportedly, is a very nice neighborhood. I have to see the place this weekend. The Bobster is kind of excited by the idea of living in a nicer environment. We are just hanging on here, while this particular neighborhood goes downhill at an acclerating rate. It is possible, however, that we could end up deciding to live in Providence by default, which would not be that great, since it is such an important decision. However, if I retire next year, it really won't matter where I live, and I like Providence a lot.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Why I could never be an atheist
Mood:
 lucky
About three years ago, on a Saturday evening, I was walking home from downtown with my friend Shane, his girlfriend and their daughter. Our paths diverged; they waited for me to cross a street. As I reached the other side, a car jumped the curb and came to rest close enough to me to leave dirt from the raised numbers on its tire, on my pants leg.
Then, between my sixtieth and sixty-first birthdays, I got bitten by a dog, but the dog was small and belonged to our neighbors, who are rich and keep the dog's shots up to date, and I got hit by a car as I was crossing underneath a red light, but the car was going very slowly, and I fell forward on the hood, rather than backwards, so the driver (thank God!) saw me and stopped. I did not immediately know that the driver was going to stop, and, as I was on the hood of his car, I thought that was it for me, and I remember thinking two things: "Damn, I forgot to make a will," so my friend would only get the insurance, and, "Wow, this is unique; I really wonder what is gonna happen next" (because that would settle the argument between believers and the rest of humanity). But the car stopped, as I said.
So my theology, done from experience (and some scripture), would always have to posit Someone or Something out there (if only gracious Coincidence), I think.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Liturgical materials for All Souls Day
Responsory (between the lessons): I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes -- I, and not another. And in my flesh I will see God.
[Antiphon on the Benedictus:] I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever has faith in me shall live, even though he dies; and no one who lives and has faith in me shall ever die. [Antiphon on the Magnificat:] All that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never turn away. O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen or Eternal Lord God, You hold all souls in life: Give to your whole Church in paradise and on earth your light and your peace; and grant that we, following the good examples of those who have served you here and are now at rest, may at the last enter with them into your everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. [Sources: The responsory is from Job 19:25, 26, 27, from the NIV. The antiphon for the Benedictus is John 11:25, and the antiphon for the Magnificat is John 6:37, both from the Revised English Bible. The first collect is found at http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/AllSouls.htm, and the second comes from the the BCP 1979.]
A glorious All Saints in Providence
Mood:
 a-ok
This morning's parish Eucharist was even more impressive than I had expected. The processional hymn, "For all the saints," was glorious, and we also got to sing "Ye watchers and ye holy ones" and "Ye holy angels bright." The choir sang the Gloria from the "Little Organ Mass," a composition in which one phrase is piled on top of another, in a unique polyphony, which means the Gloria in Excelsis takes only about 2 minutes. This is High Church worship without Anglo-Catholic extravagance. It is really very beautiful, I love it, and it was appropriate for the celebration of All Saints. In his homily, the preacher pointed out that we are "the saints," the New Testament expression for believers, and he also opined that the phrase "All Saints" means inclusion, everyone gets to be a part of the church of the saints. Really a glorious morning, just about a transcendent experience. I thought of the Advent, since the service was very long, with a prayer for the Search Committee, a personal testimony for the Stewardship Drive, and blessing the prayer shawls (which really are knitted shawls), a particular custom of this parish. I am very happy with the church.
Psalm antiphons for All Saints
[Antiphon 1] I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, standing before the throne. [Antiphon 2] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God. [Sources: The antiphons are from The Roman Breviary, published by Benziger Brothers, 1964.]
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Liturgical materials for All Saints
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Breviary antiphons
Antiphon on the Benedictus: The glorious choir of the Apostles, the admirable company of the Prophets, the white-robed Army of Martyrs, praise you. All the Saints and elect, with one voice, do acknowledge you, O blessed Trinity, one God. Antiphon on the Magnificat: O how glorious is the kingdom wherein all the Saints rejoice with Christ; clothed in white robes, they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes! Responsory (between the first and second Lessons): Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord. [repeated] And be joyful, all you who are true of heart and rejoice in the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord. [Sources: The antiphons are from The Roman Breviary, published by Benziger Brothers, 1964. The responsory is adapted from The Monastic Diurnal, edited by Canon W. Douglas, published by Oxford U.P., in 1940.]
Isabelle Holland's fiction: A guilty pleasure
Mood:
 chatty
I would be very sad if, for some reason, I could not take long walks. I found the church where I worship on Sunday mornings by walking home every night from the Amtrak station in our little southern New England state capital. Near the church is the public library, with a respectable collection of fiction. In the mid-eighties, Isabelle Holland began publishing whodunits in which the main character is a female Episcopal priest, the stunningly beautiful Rev. Ms. Claire Aldington, a widow with two growing teenagers. I recently read the first such novel, _A Death at St. Anselm's_, and now I have borrowed another one of her novels, _A Lover Scorned_, which I just started reading. There is virtually no church politics in these novels; it is not clear that the author is an Episcopalian. But they are entertaining, nonetheless. In the first novel, the parish where Ms. Aldington is on staff as a resident psychologist (where I worship, we actually have a parish nurse), has a ministry to street people, who apparently populate the Lexington Avenue neighborhood where St. Anselm's, described as an upper-class church, is situated. So there are similarities with our parish church. While the Rector in the first novel is kind of a cartoon of a progressive priest, Ms. Holland's writing is enjoyable. * * * In apartment news, the Bobster has returned from his trip to Florida, with a bit of a tan and in a very good mood. He went to see his Dad, a retired Boston cop who worked vice. Bob's two nephews went too, and they all went fishing everyday they were down there in the sun. Bob loves the weather in Florida, so I encouraged him to call his former wife and get an invitation (they are on friendly terms) for an extended stay in the sunny South. My mother used to drive my Aunt and Uncle to Florida for their vacation, which they took in mid-summer, when the weather in that state is blazing hot. I never made the connection before, but Aunt Edna's trips to Florida took place during hurricane season too. A few years after my Mother died, I dreamed about heaven: despite what everyone else thinks, heaven is a lot like the mountains of Western North Carolina, where I gew up: In my dream, I was sitting in the living room of a modest wooden house in the mountains on a beautiful spring day; my mother, who was her old, friendly, kind self, was there, with my other Aunt, Billie. It was a glorious sunny day; I do not remember what we said, but I was so happy to see my Mother again. 
Friday, 30 October 2009
A sense of accomplishment
Mood:
 bright
So I finished the BCP Psalter this evening on the train ride home. I have been saying the Daily Office from the 1979 BCP, and this is the first complete month in my doing that, since I started late in September. I am really happy with that. Lots of human emotions find an echo in the Psalter, and it is all right to emote before God. From the evidence in Psalms, the ancient Hebrews did it all the time. God is the One we can talk to with complete honesty. The translation of the Psalter in the 1979 BCP is really quite elegant; I had not thought of comparing it with the Hebrew original or with other English versions of Psalms, like the new RSV (which was actually new around 1990). It would be interesting to know just how close the Prayer Book Psalter is to the original, but I am not going to let that concern me very much. A couple of things I might do, to make the Daily Office a little more special, is borrow some antiphons for the Psalms and canticles of feasts from a translation of the Roman Breviary that I have somewhere here at home and use the printer/scanner to copy the English metrical version of the Phos hilaron, for Evensong, so that I can sing it. The Prayer Book office, in its simplicity and biblicism (you get to read a lot of scripture when saying the BCP Office), is another charming part of Anglicanism, and, thanks to the Episcopal Church's leadership in matters liturgical, one can say the Office without archaic language, a big improvement. Tomorrow is the thirty-first of the month, and the BCP Psalter covers thirty days, so I was wondering what Psalms I would read tomorrow. * * * On another matter, I was reading the beginning of Thomas Oden's three-volume theological consideration of God. Oden knowledgeably draws on the major writers of Christian antiquity, the "Fathers," patristic authors. to illuminate what the faith says about the Creator. Then I started reading Hollaway's book-length recantation of Christianity, and, indeed, of the possibility of revelation at all. Hollaway's stance is a lot like that of the Unitarians on the UU theology discussion list, that religion is a purely human undertaking, not open to the possibility that Ultimate Goodness might address us. I guess it's obvious that those are the opposite ends of possibility, theism and, essentially, a-theism, which seems to have a lot a variants. Belief is a gift, through grace, not given to everyone, it appears. It also seems the gift can be lost: Hollaway once preached an impressive sermon drawing on a Graham Greene novel, about a "whiskey priest" in Mexico, who "missed grace by seconds." I wonder if Hollaway ever thinks about that possibility now.
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